


A Little Late

by AurigaVenatici (p_3a)



Series: NaNoWriMo 2016 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Dissociation, Dominance, M/M, Relationship Discussions, Scene Gone Wrong, attempted aftercare, emotional development, overstepping boundaries, they try so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-04
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 23:32:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8467294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/p_3a/pseuds/AurigaVenatici
Summary: Emmanellain tries. Oh my god, does he try.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Emmanellain is a trans man; Thancred's genitals aren't mentioned.
> 
> They don't actually get around to having sex in the end. The Explicit rating is because I describe Emmy's prosthetic cock like 5 times.

"Well, get on your knees, then."

Emmanellain's voice was oddly commanding. Considering what they'd gone through to get to this point, it was about time it had gotten to such a stage. With sufficient motivation, it seemed the man  _ was  _ capable of learning after all…

These thoughts and more were what lay behind the smirk on Archon Thancred's face as he knelt, on one knee then the other, to look up at Emmanellain. It had been moons now since they'd exchanged blows outside the peace conference - Emmanellain's misplaced words almost costing a woman her life, and his misplaced thoughts costing him a bruised behind. Thancred had other places to be that day - he'd  _ found _ other places to be - but he'd returned to Ishgard eventually, and found his feet inexplicably headed for the Jeweled Crozier.

They'd talked for longer, that afternoon. This time, Emmanellain seemed ready to listen… at least for a time. Thancred explained how he had been like Emmanellain once, too - desperate for approval, willing to do whatever it took to get it, and making mistake after mistake in pursuit of it. Emmanellain had argued, of course - it was a blow to one's pride to admit such a thing - but Thancred wasn't hearing it. Emmanellain had to improve, Thancred said - for the sake of those he cared about, and for the sake of himself. And Emmanellain hadn't had anything to say, in response to that.

Then, one evening, Emmanellain had told Thancred to set straight a painting that had been knocked (no doubt by the Warriors of Light, knowing how boisterous some of them could get). Thancred had snorted, and asked him why - and Emmanellain had held his hands aloft, palms up. "What? I'm practicing taking charge, aren't I?" he'd said, a stupid smirk on his face. "Hop to it!"

...perhaps against his better judgement, Thancred had, with a shrug and a grin, done as he was told. And  _ definitely _ against his better judgement… he'd impulsively asked Emmanellain if he wanted to do some  _ more _ practice.

They'd been swiving twice a week ever since.

Thancred didn't give it easy to Emmanellain, of course. He made him work for it - only when he worded his commands with specificity, intelligence, and  _ tact  _ did Thancred obey them. Emmanellain struggled most of all with that last thing, but he was improving. And  _ fast _ , too. Why, not last week would Thancred have obeyed Emmanellain's command so easily - but within the bounds of their games, at least, "Ser Emmy" was earning his respect.

Right now, Emmanellain had guided Thancred's face against his leg - and had instructed him, very clearly, to give his cock some attention. And so Thancred had his face pressed against it, nuzzling and kissing at it through his trousers - his length was fairly average for an elezen, though that still made it longer than Thancred's own. He'd had it inside him a few times by now, and had found the process thoroughly enjoyable every time; the tapered tip made entry comfortable, and the lack of ejaculate made cleanup easy.

He knew by now that Emmanellain liked the show, so he tilted his eye up to look at him as he wrapped his lips around the tip through the cloth. He thought the focus Emmanellain showed to this particular task was… well. Quite cute, really. He'd probably get slapped for saying so; and he'd probably like that. But he could play nicely for now.

Emmanellain's fingers ran through Thancred's hair idly, his eyes fixed on him. "So, say, Thancred. What do you reckon you'd do for me, hmmm?"   
Thancred knew the game by now, and he nuzzled his nose along the length of his cock once more. "Oh,  _ anything _ , my lord," he said. Only a touch of sarcasm made it into his statement.   
"Really?" Emmanellain smirked, and Thancred only hated it a little. "Would you… ha, jump off the side of the city!"   
Thancred laughed out loud in response, resting his head on Emmanellain's hip.   
"No?! Well, what about… haha! What about a plug made of ginger in your behind! Raw, of course, and all carved so--"   
" _ Emmanellain! _ " Thancred scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him. He was half expecting that slap, but that  _ was _ just ridiculous.   
Emmanellain grinned, too, stroking his thumb across Thancred's forehead. "Well, all right, not that, then. What about… fetching pasties from the Crozier and then rolling around in them!"   
Again Thancred laughed, but this time he added, "of course, my lord," with a sly grin.   
"Oh! Oh! What about wearing a dress and scurrying about on all fours! For my amusement, of course."   
"Of  _ course _ , my lord," Thancred smirked, though perhaps his cheeks were a little more coloured than he'd admit to if pressed.   
"Then what about a game of fetch? Like one of those trained dogs, haha!"   
"Mmn,  _ whatever  _ you say, my lord," said Thancred - pressing his lips once more to the outline of Emmanellain's cock.

"Ohh, then what about taking off that ratty old eyepatch of yours, hmm?" Emmanellain's mannerism didn't change, but his words gave Thancred pause. He… couldn't be serious, could he? No - even  _ he _ must realise what an absurd request he'd just made. So the sarcastic words once more parted his lips: "Of course, my lord."

"Well, go on then. Take it off."   
_ What? _ "What?"   
"Take it off!"

Emmanellain looked down expectantly with a smug grin on his face, but Thancred felt cold inside. No, he… this was absurd now. This was exactly the kind of thing Emmanellain should have known better than to ask by now, and-- he'd see, he'd  _ see _ , everyone would see and everyone would know--

(Not once did it occur to Thancred that he might use the  _ safeword _ .)

Emmanellain gestured once more for Thancred to remove his eyepatch. Trying not to think about it, Thancred did as he was told.

He couldn't bring himself to look up at him. He'd be able to see - to see how deep it was, how bad it was, how the other eye was damaged, how ugly it was - and he'd tell everyone, because of  _ course  _ he would, this was such a terrible idea. It'd be in gossip magazines and newspaper cartoons and everyone would see, everyone would know - everyone would know how the outside matched the inside, now, and how he'd grown to be the street rat he'd always been…

…

Someone had laid him down.

He opened his eyes - his bad one flickered against the eyepatch. Had this been… a dream, then? No, no… the way his limbs felt heavy told him the panic had been real; he'd experienced this before, a few times in his life. Enough to know what was happening, at the least.

It wasn't on very tightly. Someone else who wasn't good with knots had tied it. He sat up on the sofa he'd been laid on - blankets had been laid over him, two of them, both soft and plush. He hadn't been undressed. And… he looked over at the side-table. Someone had left a drink in a mug. On closer inspection, it appeared to be… lumpy cocoa which had long since gone cold.

He sat up slowly and reviewed the information.

...well, taking the eyepatch off must have caused a panic attack. There was really no other explanation for that, at least. Emmanellain should have noticed he was upset long before it got to that stage, but that was neither here nor there - Emmanellain was still learning to be a Dominant, and… Thancred was still learning about himself, too, even after all these years. It was an accident, essentially.

But Emmanellain  _ had _ noticed when he'd frozen. He hadn't taken things any further; he knew from experience that Emmanellain didn't know how to remove Thancred's clothing without assistance, and it hadn't even been disturbed. And he'd tried to remedy things. One of the blankets was even monogrammed with Emmy's initials.

Despite himself, and his exhaustion... Thancred smiled just a little.

He drank the cocoa anyway.

\--

He decided to leave it a few days before tracking Emmanellain down to talk. Just as the noble was learning the ins and outs of taking custody of others, Thancred was learning the ins and outs of Emmanellain - and cornering him definitely wasn't the way to get a productive conversation. So he had Honoroit deliver a note, and subsequently met him on one of the Fortemps estate's outdoor terraces.

Emmanellain looked sheepish; after dismissing Honoroit, he made his way over to Thancred, head hung.

"Now, I don't know what you're looking like  _ that _ for," Thancred said, keeping his tone even but quiet.   
"I didn't do it properly," Emmanellain said.   
"That's not what it's about." Thancred shifted his weight, leaning on the frosty bannister which walled the terrace off from the rest of the garden. "Personally, I think you did quite well."   
"Wh-- What?" Emmanellain looked over at him, all eager and excited.

"Now, now. Don't get ahead of yourself," Thancred said, holding up a hand. "I still think you should have realised your request was inappropriate at best much before you did. But having made a mistake, you attempted to rectify its effects without fleeing from the situation. I'd call that progress, wouldn't you?"

Emmanellain gaped. He closed and opened his mouth several times, putting Thancred in mind of a fish confused about where its water went; but he waited patiently until Emmanellain had processed what was said.

"So… you don't hate me?"   
Thancred laughed, a little amused and a little sad. "No, I don't. You just have more learning to do, that's all."   
"I-- I won't let you down again!" He stood up straight, expression determined.   
"Now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Thancred smirked. "But we can certainly try again, can't we?"   
Emmanellain paused… and then nodded.

Thancred stepped towards him. They exchanged stares for a moment; and then, thinking perhaps it would be the comfort he needed, Thancred pulled him into a hug. It was stiff and awkward and unnatural, and after they parted they both burst into laughter - Thancred gently nudging Emmanellain's shoulder with his fist, and Emmanellain returning the gesture.

"So," Emmanellain said, glancing over Thancred's face for approval - which was, thankfully, forthcoming. "For next time, I was thinking…"


End file.
